It has long been in the pipeline, but the New Year has seen the introduction of the UK’s first variable electricity tariff. This means that the price of electricity varies according to the time of day that power is being used.
The introduction of the tariff is designed to discourage energy use at peak times and encourage people to run appliances through the night. Green Energy UK’s TIDE tariff offers this variation in prices. With an incentive of cheaper prices at night, it is likely that many consumers will begin to adjust their usage.
Energy experts have long said that this is the future, but is overnight electrical running safe? And does it increase the risk of electrical fires?
Electrical fires
According to the most recent fire statistics published by the government, the most common time for reported fires is 8-9pm (9 per cent of all fires). It was also found that only 11 per cent of fires occurred in the five hours between midnight and 5am.
Despite this, these fires caused a fifth of all deaths in Great Britain in 2013-14. And with more people likely to be running electrical appliances when asleep, the number of fires in these hours is expected to increase.
A Fire Brigade Union national officer commented: “Fires in the home at night can go unnoticed for far longer, and can therefore spread more rapidly. We always advise the public to turn off electrical products that are not being used. In particular tumble dryers that have been blamed for a number of fatal fires over the past few years.”
Between 2013 and 2014, fire brigades were called to 39,600 dwelling fires. Cooking appliances are the source of more than half of accidental fires and electrical appliances account for 12 per cent of fires in homes.
Electrical fires can also result from faulty electrical wiring. If you have any concerns about the quality of the electrical wiring in your home, shop or factory, we can arrange an inspection to ensure that your wiring is safe and up to date.
Call us today on 01509 414 222 or email office@eatononline.co.uk.
